Times of Sorrow
by Zukoscute2
Summary: AU. The Avatar has been killed twice, and is hiding in the Earth Kingdom. Zhao and Zuko come to the South Pole, where they meet Katara. And where what we have prevented in previous stories comes true.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: don't own AVATAR.**

**I'm gonna get so ing killed for writing this by the Zutara fans. BUT THIS IS ZUTARA, SO DON'T KILL ME YET!**

**But the ages don't change. Zuko is 16, Katara is 14, and Sokka and Azula are 15.**

**But Zuko was never banished or scarred.**

**AU. Aang, the Airbending Avatar, never ran away, and was killed with all the other airbenders. The Avatar was reincarnated to the Northern Water Tribe, but was killed when the Fire Nation laid siege to it nearly a century ago. Now, the Fire Nation is trying to find the Avatar in the Earth Kingdom, but have failed so far. And now, Zhao and Prince Zuko come to the South Pole, where they both meet Katara. And something goes horrifically wrong…

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**

Prologue

"Prince Zuko…" Fire Lord Ozai said with a poisonous grace. The sixteen-year-old Prince looked up at his father, who sat behind his wall of flames.

"Yes, Father?" He asked.

"Admiral Zhao is going to the South Pole, for there have been rumors of Water Tribe Warriors preparing to go to war. I want you to go with him." Zuko nodded, then lowered his eyes to the floor.

"And, see if there are any decent women down there." Ozai chuckled.

"But I highly doubt it. Now, go and prepare." Zuko nodded, rose to his feet, and bowed.

"Yes, father."

* * *

"Are we getting near the South Pole?" Zuko asked Zhao. The Admiral nodded.

"It'll merely be a day now.

_Good_.

Zuko thought darkly. He hated the cold. It drove him insane. He was eager to get the hell back home.

The Prince left Zhao on deck, and went to his room to meditate.

* * *

Zuko, followed by Zhao and soldiers, walked down the gangplank. His eyes scanned the group of women and children who stood near the bottom, all cowering in fear. For some reason, it didn't give him the sheer pleasure it did his father and sister.

Zuko looked at the faces of each woman, when his eyes landed on possibly the youngest woman there. Great Agni, she was beautiful.

"Men, surround the women." Firebenders immediately huddled the women and children into a tight circle at Zhao's order. Zhao noticed a young girl among them, and smirked. He walked up to her, grabbed her roughly by the arm, and led her away.

"LET HER GO!" Zhao looked up to see a young boy in face paint charging at him, a spear in the boy's hands aimed for his heart. The Admiral quickly broke the sharp end of the spear, and punched the boy in the gut, sending him back several feet, where he lay sprawled in the snow.

"SOKKA!" The girl cried, reaching out for her brother. Zhao looked at the girl, then pulled the crying girl along.

The girl looked to him, her eyes wide and full of tears, begging him to help her. Zuko remained still as stone, not doing anything to help her.

That night, Zuko was plagued with nightmares of Zhao raping that poor girl.

* * *

The Fire Nation stayed at the South Pole for several days, checking for the Water Warriors. But the only one they could find was the young boy who had tried to attack Zhao.

Zuko was doing a check on the ship, and when he arrived at the prison cells, he found the girl from a few days ago, locked up and sobbing, stripped to her underclothes.

He shook off the urges when he saw just how beautiful she really was.

"What's wrong?' Zuko asked, unlocking the cell and walking in. The girl looked up at him, and held her hands in front of her face, trying to keep him away. Zuko noted how she was chained to the wall.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said gently, and knelt next to her. She sniffled.

"That, that man. The Admiral, he, he raped me."

End of Prologue

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**PLZ DON'T KILL ME! PLLLLZZZZ! (begins writing her will)**

**It'll get a little better… I promise!  
**Inner Devil: the key word: little  
**ME: hehe… **

**INSANITY AT ITS FINEST  
LONG LIVE THE HIPPIES! **

Zukoscute2


	2. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: don't own AVATAR.**

**I apologize to **beanrox** for making the prologue go to fast. I just wanted to have a set up for everyone and send out a message.**

**Ok, this chapter is going to be better, and longer. For those of you who enjoy longer chappies. :)

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**

1, Introductions

Zuko growled low in his throat. The girl looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes, and scooted up against the wall, thinking he was going to take her as well.

"Zhao is dead." He hissed. Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko noticed how the girl seemed relieved that she wasn't going to be raped again.

"I'm going to get you out of this cell. Ok?" The girl nodded, grateful.

"You're going to get me out, right?" Zuko sighed and looked away.

"I'm… sorry. So sorry. We left the South Pole early this morning. There's… no hope of turning back now. You'll have to come to the Fire Nation with us." The girl's eyes widened in shock and tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Surely you can turn back. If you have the power to give me a room then surely you can get me back to the South Pole!" She reasoned. Zuko shook his head.

"My father gave me direct orders. No delays on my way to the South Pole or on my way home." The girl glared at him.

"Well, your father bites. Who is he anyway?" She snapped. Zuko sighed.

"Fire Lord Ozai." She gasped, and backed away from him.

"You're the Prince…" The girl whispered, feeling right now that she would very much become part of the wall right now. Zuko sighed, and bowed his head.

"I'll go find a room for you." He said softly, and got up and headed towards the door.

"Excuse me, Prince?" Zuko turned back to the girl. She smiled softly at him.

"Hurry back." He smiled, and left her cell.

Upon his return, Zuko had unlocked the girl and given her one of his robes to hide her… state of dress.

* * *

"So what's your name?" He asked as they walked in the labyrinth of hallways in the ship. The girl looked up at him shyly. 

"What's yours?" She asked. Zuko chuckled.

"Fair enough. My name is Zuko." The girl looked away.

"Nice name." She said, smiling gently. She felt attracted to Zuko. He had beautiful hair and gorgeous eyes, and she had a feeling he had an amazing physique.

"Now what is yours?" Zuko asked.

"Katara." Zuko smiled. She had a lovely name, and it suited her well.

"Beautiful name." Katara blushed.

Zuko took a sudden right, and Katara ended up taking a few steps onward before she realized what happened, and jogged to catch up with the Prince.

He chuckled when Katara looked up at him shyly in embarrassment.

Then, out of one of the many doors that attached to the hallway, walked Zhao. Zuko scowled deeply.

"Prince Zuko! I see you found my prisoner." Zhao said, eyeing the loose robe that protected Katara from his gaze. Zuko stepped in front of her, still scowling.

"Rape is not tolerated on my ship, Zhao." Zuko snapped. Zhao raised his eyebrows.

"I raped no one." He said coolly. Zuko walked till he was right in front of the Admiral, his golden eyes narrowed.

"I should have you thrown overboard for brutalizing a woman. A girl, no less." He hissed. Zhao chuckled darkly.

"And who are you going to believe? This-" Zhao pointed at Katara.

"Peasant? She probably doesn't even know what _rape_ means!" Zuko glared at him, fighting down his temper, which was starting to boil.

"Someday you will learn not to underestimate someone due to race or age. Until then, back to your post, Admiral." Zuko spat Zhao's title like it was rotten meat. The older man frowned at his Prince, but walked away.

Katara sighed in relief as he left. She looked up at Zuko with eyes glowing warmly.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Zuko nodded.

"You're welcome." He replied, and they continued on the way to Katara's new room.

* * *

"Zuko, it's wonderful!" She said happily. The Prince leaned against the door frame suavely, smiling just a little bit. 

"I thought you would like it." The room was mainly blue, but there were small swirls of other colors mixed in, like the ocean.

"Now, for your own protection, my room is right next door, and there is hidden passageway that leads into my room here." Zuko crawled over the mattress that laid in the farthest corner from the door, and tapped on the wall twice. A section of the wall, roughly about 3 feet wide and tall, suddenly slid behind the rest of the wall. Katara stared in wonder at it.

"The door automatically closes after 10 seconds, so you must be quick about getting in. You'll quickly hit the door that leads into my room, and that requires another two taps to open. Understand?" Katara nodded.

"Thank you so much Zuko," She said. Zuko nodded, and stood up. And was suddenly embraced around the middle by Katara.

"Thank you for caring."

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**Ok, I hope this was a little better. i'm sry it isn't longer. but i forgot what i wanted to type in this chapter. darn it.**

**I fear future chapters and my well being…**

**INSANITY AT ITS FINEST  
LONG LIVE THE HIPPIES! **

Zukoscute2


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